One Mission Bay gives residents the exciting and convenient opportunity to be in the midst of some of the most beautiful, eclectic and wondrous art and entertainment San Francisco has to offer. Most recently, the founder of French Impressionist painting, French Monet. Housed in Golden Gate Park at The Legion of Honor, the exhibit will highlight how in this period the young painter developed his unique visual language and technique, creating striking works that manifested his interest in painting textures and the interplay of light upon surfaces.

We all know Monet’s classic masterpieces, from the haystacks to the lily ponds at Giverny. But lesser known are his works from his earlier years. Monet: The Early Years, at the Legion of Honor, will be the first major US exhibition devoted to the initial phase of Claude Monet’s (French, 1840-1926) career. Through approximately sixty paintings, the exhibition demonstrates the radical invention that marked the artist’s development during the formative years of 1858 to 1872.

This exhibition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Monet’s mastery before Impressionism, and includes paintings that are profoundly daring and surprising. With a selection of works gathered from some of the most important international collections — the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and other public and private collections worldwide — Monet: The Early Years authoritatively demonstrates the artists early command of many genres, not only the landscapes for which he has become so renowned but also still lifes, portraits and genre scenes. Tickets are available for both members and non-members, ranging from $20-35. Children 5 years old and under have free admittance